The present invention relates to extraction of scale, corrosion, deposits and contaminants from within conduits and on equipment utilized in the transmission of fluid columns, and further relates to the removal of contaminants that may accumulate within fluid columns transferred in such conduits.
It is common for contaminant deposits to accumulate within the inner walls of conduits and equipment utilized in the transportation and transmission of fluids from one location to another. In oilfield pipelines, for example, a mixture of oil, water and minerals may flow out of a well and through equipment used to separate the marketable oil from the water and other components of the fluid column. Paraffin, asphaltene and mineral scale deposits typically form in conduits used to transport this fluid mixture and restrict flow within the pipeline. These deposits and the associated congestion they create may further lead to the deterioration of pumps, valves, meters and other equipment utilized to propel and monitor the flow of the fluid through the pipeline system. Such deposits typically result in lost production and substantial expenditures for thermal, mechanical or chemical remediation to achieve and maintain full flow through a pipeline.
Many thermal exchange systems, such as cooling towers or boilers, utilize water as a heat transfer medium. Mineral scale and corrosion buildup within such systems can result in flow restrictions similar to those of oilfield pipelines. Deposits within the conduits of such systems typically restrict the flow of water through the system and adversely affect the operation of equipment such as pumps and valves.
Further, deposits within the walls of piping systems and on thermal exchange grids tend to act as a layer of insulation and inhibit the efficient transfer of heat carried by the water. Thus, contaminant deposits result in restricted flow, lost efficiency and increased energy consumption in these types of water treatment systems. Periodic descaling of heat exchange equipment typically results in process downtime and substantial labor and remediation expenditures.
In closed-loop systems where water is continuously circulated to facilitate heat transfer from one area of a system to another, chemical treatment of the water is commonly used to remove contaminant deposits and control algae, bacteria and other biological contaminants. Over time, the build-up of chemicals, minerals and other contaminants within a water column typically results in the continuously circulated water column being unfit for continued use. Chemical and contaminant laden water streams typically require additional treatment to render them suitable for discharge into a wastewater disposal system or for release into the environment. Chemical treatment is costly and increasingly gives rise to growing environmental concerns with the storage, handling and dispensing of dangerous chemicals.
These prior art methods of dealing with contaminants in fluid columns are costly, time consuming and in some instances pose harm to the environment. For these and other reasons the effectiveness of such methods ranges from marginal to unsatisfactory. One alternative to prior art methods has been magnetic treatment wherein the magnetic flux provided by a magnetic field generator is introduced to a contaminated fluid column. Magnetic treatment of fluid columns typically results in the reduction and elimination of scale and other deposits within conduits and on equipment utilized to propel a fluid through a system. Magnetic treatment may also be used to accelerate the separation of oil and water. Environmental regulations charge entities that generate contaminated fluid columns as part of a manufacturing process or an incidental spill or leak with the containment, treatment and elimination of pollutants from a fluid column prior to discharging the treated effluent into the environment. Numerous types of treatment systems are utilized in a variety of situations where discharge limits are of prime concern. Examples of contaminated fluid columns include water run-off from facility operations, industrial wastewater, oilfield production water and wastes associated with contaminated soil remediation.
Magnetic treatment may be utilized prior to passing a hydrocarbon-contaminated feedstock through an oil/water separation device to enhance the efficiency of the equipment in the removal of free-floating oil. However, while magnet treatment of a feed stream accelerates oil/water separation, contaminants such as suspended solids, typically remain within the fluid column. Thus, magnet treatment alone fails to address concerns faced by entities charged with the treatment of a fluid column prior to its discharge into the environment.
One method of contaminant separation may be accomplished by passing a contaminated feedstock between electrically energized electrodes to bond suspended and dissolved contaminants into larger particles to facilitate their extraction from the fluid column. For example, contaminant separation may be utilized to break oil/water emulsions, allowing the separated oil to be recovered from the water column. Contaminant separation may also be used to initiate the coalescing of many suspended and dissolved solids within a contaminated water column to accelerate the bonding of solid contaminants and enhance the water clarification process. While prior art contaminant separation devices may be of benefit in certain applications, they have a tendency to clog with solids carried within the feedstock. This typically interrupts the treatment process while the equipment is cleaned, creating delays in processing, substantial maintenance issues and other concerns. Further, prior art contaminant separation methods are typically limited in the range of feed stocks that may effectively be processed due to the equal and even spacing of the electrically energized electrodes within their reactors.
While the spacing of the electrodes in some prior art devices may be modified to achieve the desired results during the setup and initiation of treatment for a certain feedstock, changes in the composition of the feed stream typically result in undesired and substandard treatment of the modified feedstock. However, if the spacing of the electrodes within prior art devices is adjusted to treat a modified feed stream, undesired and substandard treatment typically results when the feedstock resumes its original composition.
There have been many attempts to improve prior art treatment methods. In many instances, the desirable treatment resulting from utilizing smaller laboratory reactors cannot be attained in field operations requiring larger flow rates. Many prior art devices utilizing reactor designs similar to that of the small laboratory reactors on a much larger scale in an attempt to achieve larger flow rates. However, merely increasing the size of the plates or lengthening an array of electrodes within a larger housing capable of larger flow rates fails to provide for similar treatment results attained with the smaller laboratory cells unless a proportional increase in the current and voltage supplied to the larger electrodes is provided. Therefore, an increase in the surface area of electrodes within a reactor without a proportional increase in amperage and voltage typically results in larger reactors failing to duplicate the treatment levels achieved by smaller reactors due to a proportional decrease in the number of electrons and metal ions per square inch dispersed into a fluid column relative to the increased flow rate of a feedstock through a reactor. However, providing increased amperage and voltage to larger cells of prior art devices typically results in deficiencies that include large power supply components requiring larger amounts of energy, electrical arching between electrode plates that leads to the pitting and uneven wear of electrode plates, an accelerated degradation of sacrificial electrodes and excessive heat generation.
Attempts by prior art devices to increase flow rates have typically resulted in a reduction in the types of contaminants that may be removed from a feedstock and a loss of efficiency when treating a broad range of fluid columns with the even spacing of electrodes typically found in such devices. Further, many prior art devices provide for the laminar flow of a feedstock through their electrodes. This typically reduces the exposure of a fluid column to the varying intensities of the electronic fields that may be found at varying distances from the electrode plates.
An additional deficiency of many prior art devices is the placement of their electrodes within a reactor housing so that substantial volumes of a feed stream pass between the outer electrode plates and the inner wall of a reactor, resulting in substantial amounts of the feedstock receiving little or no treatment. Further, prior art devices require a separate power supply for each array of electrodes formed from a particular electrically conductive material since differing levels of electrical voltage are typically required to control the reactions of the various metal electrodes with a fluid column. Multiple power supplies occupy additional space and require additional input power.
None of the attempts to improve prior art devices provide the benefits of the present invention. By departing from the prior art, the method and apparatus hereby disclosed provide a simple, effective means of retarding contaminant build up and removing existing deposits from the internal walls of conduits and the surfaces of equipment utilized in the transmission and storage of fluid columns. The method and apparatus disclosed herein provide for the variable spacing of electrodes, and arrays of electrodes comprised of dissimilar metals having distinct and variable surface area exposure, within a single readily accessible reactor housing that may be driven by a single power supply.
The instant invention may therefore be utilized in the treatment of a fluid column to facilitate extraction of contaminants from a feedstock for subsequent collection of the pollutants for disposal, reprocessing or recycling.
In the instant invention, a method and apparatus are provided for use in the extraction of deposits such as scale, corrosion, paraffin or asphaltene from within conduits utilized in the transmission of fluid columns by passing a feedstock through a magnetic field generator. By subjecting the feedstock to an intense magnetic field, dissolved substances tend to remain in suspension instead of being absorbed into ions that would typically result in adhesive deposits within conduits and on equipment utilized to transport the fluid. The magnetic field does not remove contaminants from the fluid column. Rather, it induces a similar charge to the elements carried within the fluid column and causes dissolved and suspended substances such as paraffin, asphaltene, silica or calcium to become non-adhesive, repel each other and remain in suspension instead of forming adhesive deposits.
This invention generally relates to the treatment of fluid columns with an emphasis on the prevention of contaminant deposition, the removal of deposits from the internal walls of conduits and the extraction of contaminants from a fluid column. Therefore, treatment of feedstocks with a magnetic field generator typically enhances the ability of a fluid to flow through conduits and equipment utilized in the storage, transportation and delivery of a fluid.
One such magnetic device may be comprised of layers of a continuous coil of wire disposed coaxially and radially spaced apart from one another, said coiled wire layers emanating outward from a fluid transmission conduit and having open-air ducts formed by a pattern of spacers disposed between layers of the uninterrupted coil of wire. This coaxial array of wire layers provides for cooling of the continuous wire coil by allowing air passing through the open-air cooling ducts to transfer heat generated by the electrically charged wire to the atmosphere. The open-air cooling of the device serves to reduce heat that is typically retained within other types of electromagnetic field generators. Further, air-cooling the device results in less resistance within the continuous coil of wire, allowing more current to flow through the wire coil. This increases the total amp turns, and therefore the magnetic flux, provided by the device.
Should a magnetically treated fluid column require remedial treatment to allow for its continued reuse or discharge into the environment, the feed stream may be further treated to extract a variety of dissolved and suspended contaminants from the fluid column. Contaminant separation may be accomplished by applying electric current and voltage to electrodes contacting a fluid column to provide a stable flocculate that may be readily removed from the feed stream.
Thus, treatment of fluid columns by a magnetic field generator may be useful in preventing and extracting contaminant deposits from within conduits and equipment utilized in the storage, transportation and delivery of fluid columns and on contaminant separation electrodes of the instant invention. When used in concert, magnetic treatment and the contaminant separation methods disclosed herein provide a synergy of treatment that significantly enhances the performance of systems utilized in the transportation, transmission or circulation of fluid columns.
The input of controlled electrical energy to a contaminated feedstock results in physical and chemical reactions that destabilize the contaminated fluid column and allow contaminants to change form, thereby accelerating their removal from the feed stream. Various treatments delivered to a feedstock directed to pass through a properly configured contaminant separation reactor include exposing the fluid column to electromagnetic fields, ionization, electrolysis and the formation of free radicals.
As a fluid column passes through charged electrodes within a reactor housing, contaminants within a feedstock experience the neutralization of ionic and particulate charges. Electromagnetic forces act at the molecular level to shear the molecules by disrupting the outer orbits of molecules. In addition, electrolysis that tends to occur in aqueous based fluid columns provides hydrogen, oxygen, and hydroxyl liquids that attack contaminates within the feedstock. Cathodic reactions generate hydrogen gas and reduce the valence state of dissolved solids, causing some materials to become less soluble or achieve a neutral valence state. The anode generates oxygen gas, thereby allowing for the oxidation of many contaminants to occur. In instances where an electrode may be comprised of a sacrificial material, the anode also releases metallic ions into the feed stream that tend to bind with contaminants and form a flocculate.
The instant contaminant separation method also disrupts many of the forces that tend to keep suspended particles separated and dispersed throughout a fluid column. Following treatment, suspended particles typically attach to other particles and coalesce for effective separation. In addition, the flow of electrons through a contaminated fluid column eliminates many organisms and biological contaminants, such as bacteria, by altering the function of the cell membranes of the organisms. Surface membranes of many organisms are typically semi-permeable layers regulating water intake through osmotic forces with the electrical charge of fats and proteins in the surface membrane of the organism controlling this osmotic cellular water balance. The intense ion exchange and electromagnetic forces provided by the instant method of contaminant separation drive the surface membranes of biological contaminants to an imbalanced state by overwhelming the electrical field and charge of the organisms. Imbalanced surface membranes typically result in an organism excessively hydrating and then exploding or instigating the dehydration of the organism, causing it to implode. The increased flow of electrons frequently serves to end the cross-linking of proteins in membranes, terminating their cellular functions. Further, various electrode materials, such as copper, may donate ions to a feed stream to provide residual sanitizing properties to the fluid column. Thus, electromagnetic forces, and ions donated from sacrificial electrode plates, coupled with the oxidation of contaminants as they flow through charged electrodes cause the membranes and cell walls of many biological contaminants to collapse, thereby providing an effective means of biological contaminant destruction.
These combined treatment forces allow many contaminants within a fluid column to emerge from a contaminant separation reactor as newly formed compounds that tend to readily settle as a flocculate. The combined forces also aid in the degradation and extraction of biological contaminants and organic compounds and typically result in significant reductions of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons, Total Suspended Solids, Total Dissolved Solids, Chemical Oxygen Demand, Biological Oxygen Demand, Fats/Oils and Greases, and Nitrogen Compounds when applied to suitable candidate feedstocks.
Additional benefits include destruction of many pathogens carried within the feedstock and significant reductions in the odor and turbidity of the effluent. A treated fluid column may be directed to separation or clarification apparatus to remove the flocculate, then to subsequent treatment phases, if necessary, to extract any remaining contaminants.
Conductivity of a fluid column is an important factor in contaminant separation and is primarily dependent upon the composition and quantity of contaminants carried within a fluid column. As used herein, conductivity may be described as the resistance to the flow of electrical charges through a fluid column. A feed stream comprised of a high percentage of suspended and dissolved elements may typically be more electrically conductive and therefore provide less resistance to the flow of electrical charges than a feedstock relatively free of suspended or dissolved matter. Seawater, for example, is typically more conductive than fresh water due to its high levels of dissolved minerals.
A constant flow rate of a fluid column through the electrodes and a constant flow of electrons between the electrodes are desired for effective treatment. In many instances, voltage supplied to the electrodes may be allowed to fluctuate with the instant conductivity of a fluid column to provide for a constant level of amperage being supplied to the electrodes. Therefore, the spacing of the electrodes, the conductivity of a feedstock and its influence upon the amperage driving the process along with
While a specific electrode plate configuration of a prior art device may attain a desired level of contaminant separation for a specific fluid column, changes in composition of a feed stream often require modifying the spacing of the electrodes within the prior art device, or substituting another reactor having a different plate spacing configuration, in an attempt to reach desirable levels of fluid treatment as the makeup of the feedstock varies. Such modifications are time consuming and often result in suspension of fluid treatment while a suitable reactor configuration can be found, Therefore, use of many prior art contaminant separation reactors with feed streams of constantly varying composition is typically labor intensive and time consuming for effective treatment. The reactor of the first embodiment of the instant invention is configured to provide treatment of a broad range of soluble and suspended contaminants from a variety of fluid columns. The reactor includes a housing defining an interior chamber established by a fluid impervious boundary wall with an inner surface and having inlet and outlet ports, and two opposing electrodes, each electrode comprising a plurality of parallel, spaced apart plates of an electrically conductive material coupled to a common buss bar wherein the spacing between the plates is non-uniform. Each electrode receives an opposite electrical charge, either positive or negative, from a power supply. A fluid column entering the inlet port of the reactor may be directed to follow a flow path formed by the opposing electrodes. The substantially parallel array of plates forming the flow path through the reactor are electrically charged with the first plate having an opposite charge from the second plate, the second plate having an opposite charge from the third plate, and so on. In this configuration, every plate forming the flow path through the reactor is connected to a common buss bar receiving an electrical charge opposite the charge provided to an adjacent plate.
The electrodes of the first embodiment of the instant invention may typically be arranged within the interior chamber of the housing as opposing electrodes with the plates of the electrodes being oriented orthogonal to the inlet and outlet ports. The plates of the opposing electrodes interleave in a parallel orientation to define a flow path from the inlet port to the outlet port and form a series of cavities of non-uniform volume. As such, the flow path of a fluid is substantially orthogonal to the direction of the electrical field established between opposing electrode plates.
By arranging the electrode plates within a housing in such an orientation, a fluid flowing through the interleaved array of oppositely charged electrode plates is exposed to a variety of electron flux between the surfaces of the opposing electrode plates and along the edges of the plates. Once a fluid column enters the reactor and begins flowing between the electrodes, the spacing between the parallel plates is graduated so that the volume of the cavities between the opposing electrodes progressively increases. Thus, as a fluid column flows along a flow path extending substantially parallel to the surface of each electrode plate and approaches the outlet port of the reactor, the volume of each cavity along the fluid flow path through the housing progressively increases from the inlet port to the outlet port. Graduated spacing between the electrode plates allows for treatment of a broad range of contaminants from a variety of fluid columns due to the varying levels of electromagnetic fields, ionization, electrolysis and free radical formation provided within the fluid flow cavities. The fixed array of electrons having a graduated spacing configuration overcomes the deficiency of prior art devices that require replacing one reactor with another having different electrode configurations or opening a reactor to rearrange movable electrode; plates to provide an electrode configuration to effectively treat a feedstock that constantly varies in composition.
A feedstock may be directed to flow through the variably spaced electrodes of the instant invention so as the feed stream passes through each fluid flow cavity of a reactor, the volume of each cavity along the fluid flow path through the housing progressively increases from the inlet port to the outlet port. Further, in contrast to the laminar flow provided by the reactors of many prior art devices, the flow path through the graduated spacing of parallel plates and buss bars forming the electrodes of the instant invention provides for increased turbulence within the fluid column as it passes through the reactor. Turbulence within the reactor significantly increases the incidence of surface contact of the fluid column with the charged electrodes and provides the feed stream with exposure to the varying levels of electrical charges between the electrode plates.
The second embodiment of the contaminant separation reactor of the instant invention includes a plurality of contaminant separation sectors disposed in a substantially coplanar array within a single housing. Individual contaminant separation sectors are configured to replicate the surface area and quality of treatment typically attained by small laboratory reactor cells. As used herein, a contaminant separation sector shall mean a distinct fluid treatment unit comprising a pair of electrodes, each electrode comprising a plurality of parallel, spaced-apart plates of an electrically conductive material coupled to a common buss bar wherein the spacing between the plates of each contaminant separation sector is uniform, A contaminant separation sector may be connected to a supply of electrical power or other contaminant separation sectors. Each electrode of a sector may receives an opposite electrical charge, either positive or negative, from a contaminant separation power supply or an electrode of an adjacent sector so that in each sector, the substantially parallel, spaced-apart array of plates are electrically charged with the first plate having an opposite charge from the second plate, the second plate having an opposite charge from the third plate, and so on.
A plurality of contaminant separation sector may be disposed within a reactor housing defining an interior chamber established by a fluid impervious boundary wall with an inner surface and having inlet and outlet ports, so that a fluid flowing through the housing may move substantially parallel to the facing surfaces of the opposing electrodes. As such, the fluid flow path extends substantially orthogonal to the direction of the electrical field established between opposing electrode plates. Further, arranging the electrode plates of the contaminant separation sectors in such an orientation to the fluid flow path allows the substantial amount of electron flux concentrated along the edges of the electrode plates to provide for increased intensity of electron flow through a fluid column.
Connections between contaminant separation sectors disposed within the housing and the power supply form an electrical circuit. A fluid column entering the inlet port of the reactor may be directed to flow through the evenly spaced parallel array of plates of the initial contaminant separation sector within the housing and then be directed to flow through subsequent contaminant separation sectors disposed within the housing.
In many instances it may be desirable to place static mixing apparatus within the reactor housing to disrupt any laminar flow that may result from a fluid column passing between parallel arrays of plates. Static mixing apparatus may be also be utilized to redirect a feedstock flowing near the internal wall of a housing to the charged electrodes for treatment. Further, a parallel array of plates comprising the electrodes of a contaminant separation sector may be arranged within a reactor housing at an angle to the direction of flow of a feed stream through the reactor to disrupt laminar flow and increase turbulence within a reactor.
The plurality of contaminant separation sectors may be connected in series or parallel to a power supply to attain the desired fluid treatment. The preferred method of arranging the contaminant separation sectors of the second embodiment of the instant invention includes connecting the first electrode of a first contaminant separation sector to a first terminal of a power supply. The second electrode of the first sector is connected to a first electrode of a second contaminant separation sector then the second electrode of the second sector is connected to a second terminal of the power supply to form an electrical circuit in series. When more than two contaminant separation sectors are utilized within a housing, the electrodes of an intermediate sector may be connected to electrodes of the contaminant separation sector immediately preceding or succeeding it to complete the electrical circuit.
The spacing between the array of plates of one contaminant separation sector may differ from the spacing between the array of plates of other contaminant separation sectors within a single housing. By arranging a plurality of sectors having different and distinct electrode spacing configurations within a single housing, a broad range of treatment is provided. Varied arrays of electrodes within a single housing overcome the deficiency of prior art devices that require one reactor to be replaced with a reactor having a different electrode configuration, or opening a reactor and rearranging movable electrode plates, to find a configuration of electrodes that will effectively treat feedstocks of constantly varying composition.
Utilization of a plurality of contaminant separation sectors disposed within a single housing allows sectors comprised of dissimilar metals to be arranged within the housing and powered by a single power supply. For example, a feed stream may require treatment with carbon steel plates to break oil and water emulsions and donate iron ions to a feedstock that combine with suspended and dissolved metals, followed by treatment with aluminum plates to form a stable flocculate that may be readily extracted from the feedstock. Contaminant separation sectors comprised of carbon steel plates and contaminant separation sectors comprised of aluminum plates may be arranged within a single reactor housing and utilize a single power supply to achieve the desired carbon steel to aluminum treatment ratio required for treatment of the fluid column. Various combinations of sectors comprised of a variety of materials may be utilized to achieve the desired treatment of feedstocks.
Connecting sectors in series results in each contaminant separation sector receiving an identical amount of electrical current to drive the treatment. By connecting contaminant separation sectors in series, a relatively low amount of constant current may be applied to the electrodes in each sector to achieve the desired levels metal ions and electrons that may be dispersed into a fluid column at a given flow rate to achieve the effective treatment of a feed stream. Lower amperage levels typically result in less heat generation, reduced arching between electrodes and prolonged treatment life of contaminant separation sectors due to the reduced degradation of sacrificial electrode materials. In a series arrangement of sectors within a housing, the voltage required to maintain the constant current level supplied to the sectors is typically the sum of the voltage levels required to maintain the current level of each sector.
The voltage supplied to each sector may vary based on parameters such as the composition of the materials forming each sector and the total surface area of a sector as determined by the size of the plates comprising the electrodes and the spacing between the electrode plates. These parameters have a direct effect on the strength of the magnetic field and the treatment provided by each sector. For example, sectors comprised of sacrificial metal materials tend to disperse more metal ions into a fluid column for electrochemical treatment of the feedstock while non-sacrificial electrodes tend to provide for a more substantial generation of hydrogen and oxygen as a result of increased electrolysis activity.
Utilization of contaminant separation sectors electrically connected in series and comprised of dissimilar metals wherein the spacing and composition of the electrodes of one sector may differ from the spacing and composition of plates of other sectors within a single housing allows for a broader range of fluid treatment. Effective treatment of feed streams at higher flow rates may be attained while typically maintaining a low current level. The instant invention therefore provides an effective means of contaminant separation that may be attained by a device having a much smaller footprint and requiring less power to operate than prior art devices.
The power supply for the contaminant separation reactor of the instant invention may be configured to enhance the efficiency of the treatment process by providing for the regulation and modification of the electrical voltage and current applied to the electrodes. The electrical charges applied to the electrodes within a reactor may be adjusted based on parameters such as the composition and conductivity of a feedstock, the desired level of treatment, the materials comprising the electrodes and their arrangement within a reactor housing and system flow rates.
For example, the power supply may be designed and configured to utilize the conductivity of a fluid column to automatically regulate the voltage applied to the electrodes within a reactor to maintain the desired current levels for effective treatment of the fluid column. The electrical current supplied to the electrodes may be adjusted and fluid samples may be analyzed during the initial start up of a system to ascertain the most favorable current level required to provide the desired treatment of a feedstock. Upon determining the desired current level, the power supply may then utilize the conductivity of the feed stream to automatically regulate the voltage required to maintain the desired current level. Feed streams having a high level of conductivity typically provide lower levels of resistance within the fluid column than feedstocks with lower levels of conductivity. Thus, the greater the conductivity of a feed stream, and therefore the lower the level of resistance, the less voltage required to maintain the desired electrical current level supplied to the electrodes to achieve the preferred level of fluid treatment.
The simple equation I=V/R may be utilized to demonstrate fluid columns having high levels of conductivity typically provide lower levels of resistance to the flow of electrical current and require less voltage to maintain the desired electrical current supplied to the electrodes. In the equation, I represents the desired electrical current, V represents the voltage and R represents the resistance within the fluid column to the flow of electrical current. In any fractional equation, in order for the quotient to remain constant when the denominator decreases, the numerator must also decrease. Therefore, in order for current I to remain constant while resistance R decreases due to the increased conductivity of the feedstock, voltage V must also decrease.
The power supply may have the capability of automatically adjusting its output of voltage to the electrodes within a reactor to maintain the desired current level required to effectively treat a feedstock as the conductivity of a feed stream fluctuates. Thus, changes in the make up of the feed stream, and therefore its conductivity, are typically of little consequence in the ability of the instant invention to effectively treat feedstocks of varying composition.
A power supply may also be configured to automatically alternate the positive and negative charges applied to the opposing electrodes to impede the formation of deposits on the electrodes. To achieve the desired level of treatment for certain feed steams, a reactor may employ the sacrificial degradation of certain electrode plates. For example, sacrificial aluminum plates may be utilized to clarify aqueous feed streams and enhance contaminant separation. The periodic reversing of the polarity supplied to the opposing electrodes plates tends to provide for a more uniform degradation of such sacrificial electrodes over time. However, when automatically alternating the polarity of the charges supplied to the electrodes, a brief period of time is required where no power is supplied to the electrodes prior to reversing the polarity to allow the previous electrical charge to dissipate from an electrode.
Utilizing a magnetic field generator to pretreat a fluid column and place elements within a feed stream in suspension typically increases the effectiveness of the contaminant separation electrodes of the instant invention. Magnetic fluid treatment typically retards the accumulation of contaminants as deposits on electrode plates by inducing similar charges to the elements carried within a feedstock. By subjecting a feed stream to an intense magnetic field, dissolved substances within the fluid column tend to remain in suspension due to their decreased incidence of surface contact and bonding as a result of similarly charged ions repelling each other as they pass through the reactor instead of forming adhesive deposits that could otherwise coat electrodes and impede their efficiency. Thus, magnetic treatment of a feedstock typically prevents clogging and restricted flow within a contaminant separation reactor by placing elements within a feed stream in suspension and impeding the formation of deposits on electrodes that could diminish the effective generation of electrical charges between the electrically charged plates.
The benefits of utilizing ozone and other forms of oxidation to eliminate biological contaminants have long been practiced, but the effects of magnetic treatment it treating feed streams to eradicate such contaminants is relatively new. Exposing feedstocks containing biological contaminants to concentrated magnetic fields has been shown to collapse the cell walls and destroy the membranes of such contaminants. Thus, electrolysis and magnetic field generation provided by the instant invention may be of particular utility in the destruction and elimination of a great many microorganisms because unlike antibiotics or chemical treatment, bacteria and other biological contaminants cannot develop immunity to such treatments.
The instant invention may be configured to operate at low pressures and high flow rates. Ongoing maintenance consists of regularly scheduled inspections and cleaning. Periodic adjustment of the power supply may be required to compensate for the degradation of electrodes comprised of sacrificial materials.